Indisposable
by blood splatter queen
Summary: Third story from Unbreakable. This adventure follows Minette and the crew to Water Seven. There, they have many troubles ahead of them: the fixing of Mary, Robin's disappearance, and the unraveling mystery of Minette's peculiar Devil Fruit powers...
1. Chapter (pro)

" _A new chapter in my life is about to begin." ~Cindy-Leigh (Life Is a Gift)_

She missed her.

Unbearably missed her.

Her voice, her scent, her touch. She missed the way her hand curled around her own, how her voice rung so familiar in her ears, how her comforting touch lulled her with each tight embrace.

She missed her like the sun missed the moon. Always running behind, trying so desperately to catch up, but oh how crushing it is they are never meant to meet.

She missed her simply, but it was time to let go. Find her own beginning, and move on. This passed adventure, this stopping point until the next chapter read like so. She knew she wanted to be happy, unbearably happy, and knew missing her would have to be the price.

She buried her in the sky, let her rest among the clouds. And though she missed her every being on the way back down, she held no regrets holding her guardian's hand. Just like the one she missed, it carried the same love, a willingness to fight on her behalf and never let go.

All the hands she's held through this passed adventure - not one dared to let her go.


	2. Chapter 1

" _Deciding what to do is just as important as deciding what not to do." ~Steve Jobs_

Run.

Blaring alarms raddled her eardrums until she could no longer hear and bright spotlights swept across her eyes until she could no longer see. His cool, tight grasp grew so numb she could no longer feel her fingers.

Run.

Tall seagrass grazed her legs, leaving them itchy in her overalls, but there was nowhere else to go. Nothing else to do, to see, to hear, to feel except what's already in front of her. All she knew was she had to keep hold of his hand.

She panted, struggled to keep up. She spared a glance only to watch the sweat roll from his temple down to his jaw. His teeth were bared as his free hand swung to push himself harder - faster. The buttons on his overalls jingled and clinked with each step. She thought this was the first time Usopp looked brave to her - actually brave as if he was running to slay a dragon with just his bare hands - but she could see it in his eyes that he was just as scared as she was.

He only slowed down when they reached the tree line; and even then, didn't stop until they were a good few yards in.

She bent over and grabbed her knees, wiped the sweat that accumulated between their hands, and tried not to gag. "Did you - did you see if the others got off okay?"

He wheezed. "No. But I think I saw Zoro jump in the water."

The fall from Skypiea was disorienting and the few minutes consisting of their return to the blue sea wasn't anything short of hell. She wouldn't have been surprised if Usopp had actually thrown up because of their short distance sprint from the boat and into the tree line; heck, she wouldn't have been surprised if she had thrown up. The sudden altitude change didn't help, either.

Something echoed through the mud caking the soles of her feet - vibrations with a marching rhythm became stronger and stronger with each stomp in their direction. Panicked, she grabbed hold of Usopp and pushed him towards the closest tree.

"Climb," she whispered. "Climb. Now."

Her heart raced, battered against her rib cage and violated her eardrums - it made her hands tremble. She grabbed at Usopp's outstretched hands, scrambled up the tree and stiffened. The once burning sweat beaded along her spine gave her goose skin as she watched two Marine men scout the area they were just in - both carrying their own bayonet rifles. She felt Usopp shift behind her, allowed his arms to snake around her waist and didn't resist when his weight on her back pushed her against the tree trunk. She probably would've been touched at his self-sacrificing shield if they were in better circumstances.

This close, she could feel his heart beating erratically and it only got worse when one of them stopped. He jerked his gun up, pointed right at them, and pulled the trigger. It was an explosion in the silence, blasting out her eardrums, but nothing could cancel out the noise of the bullet whizzing inches above her head. She could feel its blistering heat and didn't doubt it singes a section of her hair. Her squeek was muffled by her sleeves, the echo of the blast, and something else' shriek in the distance. Twigs snapped in its decent and she dared open her eyes when it thumped to the ground behind them.

The shooter stalked under them and when he returned he held a bright smile and a dead bird swinging limply by its feet.

"Think Jessica will like it?"

"You know she's married, right?"

They walked on, their conversation fading in the distance as they disappeared through the fog.

Finally, they breathed and sat upright.

"Do you think they were hunting or, you know, hunting," he stammered.

"Let's think both." Her heart was still hammering. "Just to be safe."

He hesitated, then: "What do you think we should do now?"

"We have to keep going."

As much as she hated the idea, she knew it was the only thing they could do. If two guards were able to track them down, or at least stumble upon them, no doubt they're going to be spotted when the officers are ordered to search for the crew.

"Th-Then, the Great Caption Usopp and his trusty first mate, Mouse, will retrieve Mary, find the others and get the hell outta here by sunrise."

Usopp jumped from the tree and stretched his arms towards her, beckoning her to jump into them. She slid from the branch, careful not to snag her shorts, and landed in safe arms. She grabbed his hand and stood behind him, though, the sound of the leaves crunching under her feet made her on edge.

"Just you watch, you and I are going to make this Marine base ruing the day they ever came across us!"

She shushed him through soft giggles. "You're going to get us caught, Captain."

"Then let's make like ninjas and be the darkest shadows of the night," he whispered.

She nodded, admiring his playful tone at a time like this, but she could feel his knees knock together while they walked hand in hand. She gave him a reassuring squeeze and he returned it was a tighter one.

In Skypiea, they spent the majority of their time separated. They fought different battles and won different wars. It was refreshing to be a team again but she didn't realize they'd be fighting the night of their day and a half trip. It's been a hard few hours full of blood and rehealing, and she knew he needed some rest just as badly as she did, but they can't stop here, not now when they are in more danger compared to before.

She yawned and Usopp echoed.

"I hope everyone's alright," she muttered.

"I'm sure of it." He swung their hands between them. "Nami's more than likely trying to find treasure while she can, Luffy probably found his way to the kitchen, and Robin - actually, I don't know what Robin would do."

She knew: trying to find her.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mouse, but Zoro's probably right smack dat in the middle of the fortress somehow."

She couldn't help the giggle from escaping. "Or he's already captured."

"That's right. Imagine, just you and me, together we're going to rescue the Roronoa Zoro. No hiccups, no setbacks, and no broken bones."

He jabbed her side and she wriggled out of the way with a giggle. How she's managed to keep herself together thus far is a mystery to them all. She'd say she has a bad knack for breaking something inside her on each island they come across but sometimes it just gets ridiculous how glass like she is. She wondered if it's because of the Healo Healo Fruit or because of something else entirely.

"Goodness you two got muddy fast."

She jumped in Usopp's arms and he whirled them around only to find a familiar face standing there, leaning against the tree they had just passed.

Minette smiled and ran towards her. "Robin!"

Within seconds, she was enveloped in a warm hug. The smell of flowers, lilac most predominant, soothed her nerves.

"You're here," Minette breathed.

"Where else would I be?"

"Have you seen anyone else?" Usopp asked.

"No," Robin sighed, "But I did hear something rather interesting. Seems as though the Marines have deemed Mary a ghost ship. This could work in our favor. If we can make them believe long enough that the Mary is actually uninhabited, we can find the others and get out of here quickly."

"But we don't know where the others are."

"Then we'll have to infiltrate."

"Infiltrate?" Minette asked.

"Sneak in," Usopp nodded, then: "And just how are we going to do that? Surely they're going to be on high alert in there."

"But walking right in would be the last thing they'd expect us to do."

Minette nodded. "Yeah. We might not get caught so easy inside." She tapped her temple and smiled. "We have to outsmart them."

Throughout the rest of the night, they made a plan - though, it mainly consisted of finding the others without getting caught - Minette was in charge of finding the treasure Robin suspected they took, Usopp volunteered to find Mary and Robin was to find a layout of the base to determine the route best fit to escape.

They split up by sunrise and now Minette was left wandering in the brush. She held an internal debate about which path was best - if she should stay in the trees and stalk the base until she found an opening, or walk right through and hope for the best. Though, she can't imagine people not turning their head at a little girl sauntering through the halls. Plus, even if she did find a uniform and lie about her position on the base, it would still raise suspicion. She's so out of place here. But then again, would people believe she's a pirate sense she's so young?

She sighed out of her thoughts.

Not only that, but she still hasn't come up with a plan on how she was going to find the others; and more specifically, all the loot the Marines expectantly took from aboard Mary. She has no idea what she's going to do when she finds it as well. How will she carry it all? Is it worth her time to find the others first and then go for the treasure, or is finding to the treasure first and taking whatever she can hull back to the ship in numerous trips? Finding the treasure first is less of a risky situation but what if all the others get captured by the time she finds the vault? She'd be the only one left to save them.

She groaned. _What am I going to do?_

Separating looming seagrass in front of her, Minette huddled close to the ground and continued. It was shortening and thinning and by the time she reached the edge, it would be up to her waist if she stood, but it was just a few inches above her head now as she crawled on all fours.

She could feel grass in her hair, tangled in her buns and even managed to tigh themselves around the white bandana she sported, but now was not the time to sit back and pick out every dry stalk. Through the turf, she watched white and blue men exit from a door on the side of the mountain. They carried guns and pleased smiles.

Walking particularly close to where she was, Minette rocked herself back onto her toes and held her balance with her hands between her raised heels. She kept her head low, eyes on the man's side profile, ready to pounce. She felt like a cat ready to spring on an unsuspecting mouse.

"Jesica really outdid herself this time," he said.

Minette lowered further as another stepped beside the first. "I heard the two celebrity chefs were on the vessels that came through this morning," the second said. "Good grub. The best I've ever had."

"Shh," the first laughed. "Don't let Jesica hear. Who knows what she'll feed you if she overhears."

They stepped into the tall grass, stalking directly towards Minette with one on the right and one on the left. Panic settled in her stomach. She can't run in this position, hell, if she moves out of their way at all, she'll be spotted.

Her mind raced as they drew near. She contemplated using the element of surprise, but that'd only make her seen by the other officers. Attacking them right in front of a whole blue and white crowd wouldn't just get her caught but probably shot as well.

Shit. (Sorry Nami)

"Hey, did you hear they caught one?" one said.

Just a few steps now and they're going to trip over her.

"Really? Who?"

Panicked, she lowered herself to the dirt and laid on her side.

A heavy black boot stomped in front of her nose and another, behind her, stomped close to her neck. She could smell the leather and feel her shirt snag and tighten around her throat. Inches. Mear inches.

"Roronoa Zoro. Heard he took quite the dive. The captain was fishing when he suddenly stumbled down a cliff and into the water."

They stepped around her body in what felt like slow motion and Minette didn't dare breath, or look up, or shiver when something crawled in her ear. She was more frozen than when she "died" in Drum.

"Wow! Talk about the catch of the day!"

And then they passed.

And then she breathed.

She laid there for another minute for good measure, feeling their vibrations echo longer and longer and distant then nothing. She sprung up, still under the seagrass' tall protection and dug out the invader. It squishes under the pad of her pinky, loud in her ear.

Gross.

Layed on her stomach, she wiped the green goop on her shorts and used her hands as binoculars just like Usopp taught her. It doesn't do much, but she likes to believe it does. As she watched the opening where men keep appearing from, she couldn't help but overhear their conversations about someone's food and how different it was compared to another someone named Jessica. She quickly concluded the opening lead to the kitchen and dining hall; also, the way they were describing the food made her believe Sanji was probably in there showing off to woow this Jessica woman.

She sighed, lowering her binocular hands. It's settled then, with Zoro captured and Sanji more than likely right in front of her, she'll search for the others and the treasure at the same time.

Then something dawned on her. _If I collect the treasure, how am I supposed to bring it to Mary when no one knows where she is?!_

She laid her head down and groaned. This was going to be a huge headache.


	3. Chapter 2

" _It's all about quality of life and finding a happy balance between work and friends, and family."_

 _~Philip Green_

The cement-like mud caking her feet cracked and chipped away with each gentle shift against rough tree bark. It scratched and tickled but overall felt nice to finally get the coating off. It made feeling surrounding vibrations difficult, and if she were to go into the base, it would no doubt leave a trail as she ran against the cool tile top. She may have a mentality of a seven-year-old at times but she isn't stupid. Barging in without a set in stone plan, the layout of the facility and leaving a trail at the same time was pretty much asking to get caught even if it did take longer for the marine men to figure out she infiltrated. Though, it seemed like her crewmates had the same idea as Robin.

On her venture back up the cliff top not too far from where her, Robin, and Usopp met, she was able to spot Sanji and Luffy in the kitchen and Nami wandering the hallways in a pink uniform, but that's not all she found while climbing, she also spotted Mary being hauled by one of the enemy's ships into what she assumed to be a boat repair dock. That solved one problem and at least three of her friends were alright. For now.

Looking out, the view was incredible. The surrounding water was like a mirror reflecting the brilliant blue sky. There were no clouds in the air but the foam from the wake of passing ships made it seem as such. In a way, how the boats sailed above the ocean sky, it was almost like she were in Skypiea again.

 _Before them was an aged yet glossy blue marble wall lined with gold weight bearing structures. The marble was carved with inscriptions made of bold lines positioned in exact square grids. Everything was precise and nothing seemed out of place other than the vegetation clinging to the cracks in the gold finish._

 _Minette and Robin stared up in awe. The young girl went to read aloud the first words when a gentle hand stopped her._

" _Stay peaceful, sweet girl. This is something sacred, never to be read aloud or repeated."_

" _Why… Why can I read it? I don't understand."_

" _Honestly," Robin chuckled, "I don't quite understand how you remember after such a long time."_

" _Remember?"_

" _My teachings… and the reason why the World Government was so keen on breaking us apart." It was silent, both admiring the supposedly mythical blue marble before them, then: "Do you remember what this means?" Robin mover her hand over her face starting at her forehead with an open hand then down to her chin in a delicate fist, her smile light and charming._

 _Minette mimicked the motion, her muscles seemed to remember and moved with confidence but her memory failed her._

 _Frustrated, she shook her head and almost started to cry._

 _Robin kneeled before her, cupping the young girl's face in both hands. "Oh, my dear sweet girl…"_

She forced herself out of the memory. She'd rather forget the events that transpired in Skypiea.

Focused once more, Minette looked around, basking in the frightening glory of the marine base. The cliffside she stood on seemed to ring around a middle - probably main - fortress where she saw Luffy, Sanji and Nami. Then, to the east was an opening the leading to the sea for ships to enter and exit freely. That seemed to be the only way they'll get off this overgrown reef, and without shackles. Though, with all the cannons lining the inside of the outer ring, she should also assume they'll be on the outside of the entrance as well. After all, why have all these cannons pointed towards the inside? That'd be a stupid first tactic for defending their fortress. If anything, it had to be a last resort. A base this heavily guarded wouldn't wait to attack once the enemy was already inside, but this only makes things harder. If there are weapons defending against incoming ships, what's stopping them from firing at escaping pirates?

She groaned and rubbed her temples. What a headache.

Now that she had a basic understanding of the stronghold, a new plan was to be issued. Everyone had to be looking for the rest of the crew by now, not just Robin, Usopp and herself, and since she knows where Mary is located - or at least the general area - it might be a good call to start her original mission: looking for their treasure (and maybe taking whatever else she can find that might be worth some bellies). But first, she needed to figure out how to get to the main fortress.

The task of descending the cliff side had proven more difficult than scaling it, though, luckily for her, she found one of the cannon rigged openings. Inside was dark and empty and didn't prove to be much. There were carts of cannon balls lining the side walls and an odd wide tube that lined the side wall before dropping to the floor. It seemed the reason to its being was to produce cannonballs onto the cart rack when space was available and needed replacing. In the back of the opening was a large hatch that - when upon opening - lead underground by ladder to an even darker tunnel. She wasted no time crawling inside and enabled the Healo Healo Fruit to let her see through the pitch.

Reaching the end of the latter, she could tell she was a good few feet under when she looked back up to the hatch. With the light coming through and how far down she was, the opening looked much smaller.

Too far to back out now - and without any other plan - she continued into the darkness. It wasn't dusty as she walked along, if anything it was oddly clean and with a bleach-like smell a few days old. But that didn't matter - what did was how far the tunnel turned out to be and just how far down it went. There were never any declines but rather, she had to watch her step a few times to not fall down a sudden drop. There was always a ladder, but with each ladder she came across they all seemed to be going further and further down. Whether it was down the rest of the mountain or if she was below the sea by now, she couldn't tell. There were no vibrations - which was good considering there was nowhere to hide - but it was still unnerving. What she would give to feel the echo of Luffy stomping on deck or Sanji's whirlwinds when he saw Nami or Rabin - though, it was Chopper's unusual tapping of his hooves that always caught her attention.

Tired and hungry, she sighed. When is this tunnel going to end?

Finally, she started coming across ladders that went up and shorter landings. It didn't take too much longer for her to spot little rays of light flooding in from the hatch above and she cried out in joy.

Twisting the lever and pushing the heavy hatch with all she could muster, she flinched at the booming echo it created against the floor. After a few moments of hesitation, she peeked out and looked around but there was no one there. Jumping up and pulling herself out, she didn't bother with closing it as she looked around. From the moment her eyes landed on the first thing in front of her, she knew exactly where she was.

"This must be the weapons room," she gaped.

Walls as high as mountains, the ceiling wider than a great lake, she truly felt like a mouse - no, a mear insect. This bunker was lined with the same tubing as the small cannon opening she took to get here, except there were dozens of them - dare say, hundreds. Not only were their cannonball tubes but also rifles and swords and so many weapons she hadn't a name for. There were so many tools of destruction, so many instruments of death, she became light-headed. Her imagination ran wild with images of herself being tortured with each and every one of these objects. Her assailants waiting until she revived to try out the next best thing. But then she thought about her friends being used to test their quality. They wouldn't revive as she would, they wouldn't be able to tolerate the pain as she would. She could barely stand to think the mere thought of never seeing them again let alone having that be the last memory she'd have of her lively family. This only made her want to find them sooner and protect them the best she could, but that'd have to wait. Surely Nami will be upset about their missing treasure more than her own well being.

She looked around the bunker and picked up a few small knives. It's been a while since she's thrown one in practice, let alone in defense, but it was better than going in without any protection.

At the door in the corner of the room, She cracked it open, a knife in hand just in case, but again, not a single soul was to be found. She stepped out confused, why wasn't anyone around the weapons section? Surely they don't want any pirate finding it. She shrugged it off and continued on her way.

During her walk, she determined it was noon by the position of the sun - the guards of this section probably having lunch - and that she was exactly where she needed to be, the main fortress. The tunnel must've gone in the mountain, all the way down to below the sea floor, then back up to where she is now. It was a smart system and she was sure this knowledge will be very valuable later on.

She ducked under windows as she went, not daring to go inside just yet. If the treasure might be somewhere on the other side then it'd be much easier to spot it while outside. Plus, if she does find it, she knew exactly where to go to get back to the other side without getting lost. On the edge of the main fortress dirt, she almost fell into the splashing water when some loose rocks collapse under her footing but that's when she found it.

Small hands clasped to tall stalks of seagrass, she leaned over the edge and looking into the mirror-like water. Right there, right in front of her, if she lowered herself just enough she could see a shiny glint of gold sparkling against the water. Still holding the tall stalks and leaning above the water, she could see through a balcony window and there it was, the cause of the glint. From the way it seemed scratched and weathered and from their original hand figured pieces, she knew it was their gold from Skypiea.

"Hey, have they found anyone else yet?"

"Nah. Not yet."

Minette jumped, almost screamed when the roots of the stalks started snapping but she scrambling into their tall protection before she could fall in the water or get caught. She went to run deeper into the grass to get under taller protection but while she was looking back to see if she was being followed, her shin hit something solid, she squeaked and went tumbling into a small cradle of sorts.

"What was that?" The voice from before became serious and dark.

Minette froze where she laid.

"It didn't sound like a human. Maybe a ghost. OOO..." The other voice chuckled.

"Oh shut up. You believed in it too until we found Roronoa."

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep walking. It might've just been that south bird from the Straw Hat ship and who knows where it is now."

"Right."

She waited until they were out of range before she moved again and what she found was that she hadn't tripped over a cradle, but rather Nami's waver. Minette almost forgot they had brought it back with them from their last adventure. She hadn't driven it while they were up there, but she had watched Nami ride it so many times she thinks she can return to Mary with all the gold in one haul if she can figure out how it works fast enough. This'll come in handy too. Though, this discovery didn't help her new arising problem. How the hell (sorry Nami) was she supposed to get the gold without getting caught now?

She sighed and hung her head. Only one solution: infiltrate the base.

Walking with the waver, she guided it to rest against the mountain wall under the treasure rooms balcony. With all they had obtained in Skypiea, she knew the load was going to be heavy. The most expensive pieces were big figurines. Sure, there were also small jewels, rings, necklaces and many more of the sort, but all that combined was going to make things hard to carry around. She can try carrying small loads out through the halls and to the waiver but that'd slow her down considerably and everything so much more troubling. If anything, she'd have to jump from the balcony with loads of treasure and have to make her way in over and over again to get everything.

She hid it in the brush, walked her way around until she found an entrance and built up the courage to sneak in. She knew she was going to have to at one point but she had wished it was with Usopp or somebody at least. Whatever, now was not the time to be scared. She had weapons, she had her determination, and she had the undying need to get out of this place as soon as possible so, with those thoughts in mind, she stepped inside and kept close to the walls.

With each step, she grew less and less concerned. She wasn't checking over her shoulder as often or hiding behind every crate or corner she came across. The further she walked through the halls the more comfortable she felt to rely on her senses. She could feel heavy vibrations of white and blue men here and there but she soon came to realize that they were far away and she was in no danger. She could only feel them because they were in such large groups.

It didn't take long before she found herself on the third floor and tracking down the treasure the based on her sense of direction. She knew the window was looking out north when she saw it, so she kept wandering in that direction, peering into the room after room hoping no one is in them to spot her. Honestly, if she had known it was going to be this easy, she would've gone in when she first had the chance.

She stopped mid-step, her carefree attitude broken by familiar echoes in the floor tiles. The tap shoe like click, the weight heavily resting on the balls of their feet, and the pause of each echo between steps - Minette burst into a smile, running in the direction she was already going but with a new purpose. She turned a corner, heading for the doors his footsteps were coming from, but then they suddenly stopped and she stopped too when she felt echoes she didn't recognize surrounding them. Approaching with caution, she stepped up close to the door and leaned her ear against it.

"Such a shame for someone with skills as yours would give up their name to be a Straw Hat pirate." It was a woman, probably the Jessica lady she keeps hearing about, but nevermind that! Minette knew whenever there's a woman involved in a fight Sanji doesn't defend himself in fear of accidentally hurting her.

Feeling the heavy echo of men walking towards her location, she backed herself into a corner and yelled at the top of her lungs. "WHAT?! The kitchen is running out of food and there isn't enough left for the next group?! If I were them, I'd get here quick!"

She could hear her own voice echo through the fortress before the heavy vibrations from earlier turned into an earthquake beneath her feet. Dozens of men rushed passed her and slammed open the dining hall doors. Through the chaos, she could see not only Sanji but Luffy as well pushing against the crowd and making their escape into the hallway.

She was immediately spotted by the pair. "MOUSE!"

Someone angry from the other side of the door yelled, "Straw Hats!"

Minette pushed away from the wall, grabbed both of their hands and ran. "Come on! This way!" With each step, she was able to feel surrounding vibrations that weren't just Luffy's and Sanji's. The more they ran in any particular direction, the closer the enemy seemed to be. It was as if they were tracking them down by filling all the corridors on this floor alone.

"Ah! Downstairs!"

Taking a sharp right turn, she dragged the boys into a small room consisting of stairs going up or down and practically threw them down herself.

"Go!" she yelled, racing after them. "There aren't as many of them on the bottom floor!"

They all stomped down.

"Mouse! Where have you been?!" Luffy laughed.

"I don't know! Just run!"

At the first level, they all laid panting on the floor, still inside the side stairwell. This was the way she came before. It was dusty and unused. The perfect way to escape.

Swallowing hard from breathing so heavily, Sanji gave a big smile. "My little girl came to rescue me!"

"Yeah," Luffy laughed. "You saved our butts, thanks!"


	4. Chapter 3

" _Even the lucky have off days." ~Unknown_

In a covered room beyond the stairwell door, all three peaked around the corner in a totem pole fashion. Minette on the bottom, Luffy in the middle and Sanji on top. There was another hallway corner blocking the majority of their view, but through a small opening, Minette could make out two officers.

"Anything new?"

"So far we've captured Zoro and a man with a really long nose. Pirate captain Luffy and a blond cook had been in the kitchen but they escaped."

"Escaped even while Vice Admiral Jonathan was in the dining hall?"

"Yeah. This is some serious stuff now."

"No kidding."

When they walked off, Minette backed up and slouched against the wall. They weren't lying. She could feel the heavy vibrations go through her toes and into her soul. Her feet were close to numb because of it. Not to mention she was hungry and overall tired of this whole mess.

Sanji turned away, blowing a plume of smoke before looking down at her. "What's wrong?"

"I need to be on that floor," she pouted and hung her head, "but there are so many people up there I won't even be able to get passed the stairwell door."

"Then don't go," Luffy shrugged.

She sighed, "Do you really think Nami is going to leave this place without our gold?"

"You know where it is?" Sanji asked.

"The general direction. I found Nami's waver so I was going to use that to carry everything back to the ship, but now…"

A heavy hand fell to her head and matted in the dry seagrass. She looked up to find Luffy smiling wide and Sanji smirking as he lit another cigarette.

"Don't worry, Mouse. Just leave that to us," Luffy chuckled.

"Yeah, as much as I hate the idea, splitting up again is our best bet." Smoke drifted from his mouth as he spoke. "You get the gold while we get the idiots down under."

"And we'll meet up again at Mary, right?"

"Right."

"Ok," Minette smiled, "see you there." She went for the door leading to the stairs but her wrist was caught and she was pulled back into tight arms. The overwhelming smell of tobacco flooded her senses as she watched wisps of smoke dance through the air.

"Don't give us any reason to worry," Sanji muttered. His arms tightened around the small of her back and around her shoulders.

She pushed away with a giggle, "I don't plan on it. Now go find the others. I'll be fine."

Sanji stood and nodded his farewell while Luffy chuckle. She knew they were watching her climb the stairwell and she only heard the door slam shut when she was out of their line of sight.

She won't lie, a piece of her wanted to stay with them and help save the others under their protection, but she'd rather return the treasure to its rightful place before Nami freaked out. If they were on their way out of the fortress with not a single belly, Nami would no doubt make them turn back even if that was their only chance of escaping. Minette would do anything in order to get the gold rather than letting it go.

On the floor she needed, she eased open the door and peaked out. Blue and white men were crawling everywhere with their guns over their shoulders and their hands on the hilt of their swords. She could feel how on edge they all were, just itching to lunge or shoot something or someone suspicious, it made her nervous.

The door was connected to a similar side room like on the first floor and as she looked around, she spotted an air duct that looked bigger than the space necessary for her to crawl through. She waited for the group of blue and white to pass then swung the door open, thankful it swung out instead of in and positioned it under the vent. It wasn't exactly lined up but it would have to do.

She felt the heavy vibrations of the officers making their second round and climbed the door in a hurry. Using the knob as a step, she jumped and pulled herself up to sit on the thin top. Her balance was like no other, keeping her upright and the door from swinging, even when she pulled in her legs and carefully transitioned from sitting to standing. She couldn't feel the vibrations but she could hear them just around the bend. Before she could be seen, she pushed up the screen, pulled herself in, and closed the door with a tap of her foot. She laid still, waited for the men to pass and gave a huge sigh.

That was closer than she liked.

An explosion rumbled through the vent, starting from around a bend a few yards away until it hit her in full force. She couldn't contain her squeal as her hands slammed against the tin walls but her extra noise seemed nonexistent when another explosion ripped through not only the vents but what felt like the entire fortress as well.

"The pirates are on the first floor! All units report to the first floor! Don't let them escape!"

Through the screen, she could see elongated shadows of men rushing through the halls, their figures distorted and melded together. When they all passed, she relaxed. They had said they'd take care of it, but she didn't expect something like that; though, she was very thankful to not have so many officers around while she wandered about.

Shuffling on her hands and knees through the vents, she made the decision to stay under their protection just in case anyone was still stalking this level, and now, she made sure to keep her sense of direction as to not get lost. She only headed north to come as close as she could to the room she spotted the treasure but wandering around in the vent for so long was torture. She couldn't see exactly where she was going, couldn't feel the vibrations, the only thing she could rely on was sound but everything echoed back to her no matter where the noise was coming from. She felt astray despite knowing she wasn't. She needed out of the vent and she was more than willing to take that risk.

When she came up to the next screen, she pulled the screen up without hesitation and jumped down. To her astonishment, she found herself already at the furthest northern wall. The late afternoon sun gleamed through the circled windows. She estimated this was around the area where she found Luffy and Sanji in the dining hall, and now, it was just a matter of which way to go. East or West?

" _So far we've captured Zoro and a man with a really long nose. Pirate captain Luffy and a blond cook had been in the kitchen but they escaped."_

" _Escaped even while Vice Admiral Jonathan was in the dining hall?"_

She turned West but stopped dead in her tracks when her gray hues connected with the eyes of a quivering, yet petrified, mop boy who seemed to have just stepped out of the supply closet behind him.

He dropped his bucket, water spilling everywhere, and pointed straight at her. "You're - You're a p-p-p-"

She rushed him headon. In a few long strides, she was in front of him. She dropped to her knees, using the spilled water to slide under his spread legs, grabbed the back of his pants waistband and used her own velocity to yank him back and slam close the supply closet door behind them. There was a loud crash as shelves broke, buckets tipped over and mop sticks fell but she felt no one near to hear or see what had just transpired.

She turned to ask the young man about the room the treasure was being kept, but the poor guy was out old with a bucket covering his head. She left him there, left the floor wet as well, and ran west towards the dining hall - hoping that maybe the Vice Admiral's office was somewhere around there and held a clue as to where the treasure was located. She didn't know exactly what a Vice Admiral was but given by the conversation she overheard before, he sounded rather important and might know a lot. Maybe she can get a few words out of him.

It didn't take her too long to find the dining hall. The smell of food and the rumble in her stomach lead her more than her sense of direction the closer she got. Once more met with the two dining hall doors, she leaned in close like before and was slightly surprised to hear no blue and whites laughing loud and chatting louder. Nothing but the sounds of a hard working kitchen and that same woman from before yelling at the other chefs. With the noises far from the door and no other sign of a possible threat, she hushed the angry growls in her stomach, cracked open the doors and slipped in. She kept her back against the door, surveying her surrounds as she guided it closed and found the kitchen along the right wall, various doors lining the left with a vast dining hall in the center. The space itself seemed like it could fit all the officers in the base if they stood shoulder to shoulder but there weren't nearly enough tables or chairs.

"You can't even peel a potato?!"

She jumped, skin crawled and her head whipped around towards the noise. Her heart raced but slowed when she found she hadn't been caught, but instead, the woman was yelling at two men.

"Our team normally did it…"

"You're useless! Report to dishwashing immediately!"

"Y-Yes, Sir!" And they scrambled out of her way.

Quick, before she could get spotted, she ducked under the counter separating the kitchen from the tables and crept along its cover. She tried peaking in the windows of each door but from this crouch and this far away, all she could see was the ceiling, though, even if she was a few feet from the door, she wouldn't be able to see anything without jumping and potentially giving away her position.

She had to get closer.

She dared step out from the protection of the counter and rush to the nearest table. She was well hidden by the chairs but her movements could catch anyone's eye. As stealthy as she could be, she hopped from table to table and she soon found the further she got the more cover she gained. By the time she ducked under the last table in that row, she could hardly make out the kitchen through all the table undersides and chairs.

She peeked, saw all the staff with their backs to her and hurried across the few feet separating the doors and tables. She heard no noise and felt no movement on the other side and with a quick glance over her shoulder to see if anyone was turned around, she jumped and peered through the window. Just an empty office it seems.

She continued this process, and though she started in the middle of the room, she found it smart to make her way towards the only exit just in case something happened. Most rooms turned out to be more empty offices with the occasional meeting room of sorts and she hoped the last door closest to the exit was the one with the treasure. She dreaded the thought of having to go all the way to the other corner and start there. The closer to the exit, the better.

She ran up, checked the kitchen and for movement inside and jumped. Her face lit up at the sight of ancient gold shimmering in the corner and with one last peak over her shoulder, she pushed inside.

The doors squeak didn't alarm her since the kitchen overrode the noise but she didn't let it close on its own accord. She had half the mind to lock it just in case someone might barge in while she was still collecting everything. It'd buy her more time but she decided against it. If they found it locked, all they'd have to do is look through the window and spot her. She'd rather not wait for them to get that close to the door but that also meant she'd have to really concentrate on the echos while she packed.

Luckily for her, the treasure laid on a big sheet, no doubt to help the guys who carried it in here, but despite the huge help, when she wrapped it up, it was far too heavy. She knew this was going to be the case but she thought she could at least drag it to the open balcony. She sighed, taking the time to think before she made any rash decisions.

Making up her mind, she removed the smaller idioms, shrinking the tied sheet one-fourth of what it was and tried again. She couldn't lift it and could barely brag it but when she took some of the smaller figurines out, it rested heavy on her shoulders and back but it was off the ground now. She won't be able to take it all in one trip but coming back doesn't hurt too bad if she pushed the waver hard enough.

Dragging her feet to the balcony, she turned around and lift the bag on the railing, untied it from around her neck and pushed it over the edge. She watched it fall, crush the seagrass below, and form a crater of sorts. She didn't hear anything break or shatter, so that was good.

She jumped, used her arm to hold her up, swung her legs over and dropped. She landed on the pile but her feet slipped out from under her and she tumbled to the ground. She groaned as she stood, rubbed her butt and wasted no more time. She tied the makeshift bag around her neck once more and carried it to the waver. Once she stepped in, she let it fall behind her but didn't untie it - not wanting to risk anything dropping.

Now came the hard part. How in the world does this thing work?

From watching Nami, she knew the handles twisted and depending on which was turned, it would either stop or go.

Nervous, she took one in each hand and gave the right one a slight role. It lurched forward, erupting a short scream from her and she twisted hard on the left. It skidded, tipping the front of the cradle forward and the rear up to the sky. She leaned her weight back to keep from falling forward completely and crashed back down. Her heart raced, but there was no more time for experimenting, she had to go. Twisting the right again, she held on tight as it weaved out of control but she soon taimed it and found an easier ride back to the weapon room. Without thinking, she dropped down the open hatch.

It was scary jumping down flights and somehow scaling the walls but she found it easier as she went along and by the time she erupted from the other side, she was smiling, laughing. She enjoyed the wind rippling her clothes, its sea salt seasoned air stinging her skin. The echoes of the loud modder and the small jumps from little mounds brought on a different type of joy that she never expected. She hasn't felt anything quite like it before. She almost didn't want it to end, but she was closing in on Mary fast.

She slowed when she found the opening to the dock Mary was stationed and arrived in a crawl. She leaned around the bend and when she spotted no one, she walked the waver into the large mountainside opening. Upon entering, her arms covered in goose skin and her heart pumped heavy in her chest - nothing felt right. Every fiber of her being was on edge but despite this, she found and felt no echo of danger here. The waters were calm and she could hear only seagulls in the distance. The air wasn't stiff - she was. Maybe she was just disappointed and worried because the others weren't here yet.

Still conscious, she parked the waver against the wall, hauled the load onto her back and made her way towards Mary. She looked around, more on edge than before but still found nothing out of character. She stepped on the loading ramp, stood to absorb the familiar echoes of the ships groans and shifts but she also felt something else, something that definitely shouldn't be there. She knew immediately it was an ambush and she just knew they heard the waver and were expecting her - after all, taking the gold and getting away with it shouldn't have been so easy in the first place.

There were two options now: retreat with the gold but leave nowhere to hide it (and if she did leave it, it'd just be taken to a different location), then there was fighting, reclaiming the ship and keeping the gold. Though, as she tiptoed around the deck carrying the gold, she started to see a third option better than fighting.

She dragged the gold up the mass to hide in the lookout post and smiled at her geniusness. She knew all the kinks and creeks on the ship so hiding the treasure in the least expected place and sneaking off the ship should be relatively easy. After all, she was able to slink about the deck with a heavy load without springing the trap.

She descended the latter and tried to make her presence even lesser by canceling out the light taps of her feet and palms coming in contact with the bars. She was a ghost, quieter than she's ever been. Just a few more steps. She extended her leg to reach the last one, then she felt it in the palms of her hands. The wood fibers in the bar she held were breaking, a crackle like noise growing in volume. She scrambled to get off it and lowered herself faster. Her foot made contact, her weight shifting on it more and more - it snapped. There was no time to react. The bar she reached for was the one she tried to avoid and, it too, snapped at her harsh pull. Her landing was monstrous - shook the boat, and exploded in the silence. She laid face down, her hood flipped over her head, and gaped in a silent, breathless, scream.

A rampage of charging men climbed from the cabin below deck burst through, as well from the kitchen, storage and drawing rooms - but she only groaned, her body bruise from the landing. She absorbed their vibrations and felt them surround her. She could hear the pumps of their rifles and the unsheathing of their swords. The air was tense, her heart pounding - she was entirely at their mercy.

"Stand, pirate." The voice was rough and intimidating.

She took her time to stand and fix the hood to cover more of her face. She can't let them see, if they at all recognized her from her poster or knew what she was capable of, a warning would go out to every officer on base, and if she were to escape, they'll specifically be on the lookout for her. Hiding her face was the only thing she could do to conceal her identity and protect herself.

Her hands shot up at the sight of all the weapons and men on instinct. She tried not to get scared, but as the situation dragged on, she realized the odds against her. If she started fighting, all it would take was a really good shot right through the head and she'd be paralyzed just like before. They'd probably think of her as dead and not remove the bullet, or just dump her body into the bay. Then what?

Everything was gut wrenchingly quiet but then she watched some of the guns and swords lower and the guards just stared.

"It's… a little girl?"

More weapons lowered around her.

"Hold your positions, men, and stay alert," barked the officer standing directly in front of her. "She may be a little girl but she's still one of them. Cuff her."

She squeaked, her hands shooting higher and hated how her knees quaked.

"But, Sir," a man whispered, "She's just a kid and looks to be surrendering, hell, she's shaking. Let's just walk her back."

The first man said nothing and the second sheathed his sword. He forwards and she instinctively stepped back.

The man stopped a few feet in front of her with a softened face. "What's your name?"

"Min…" -wait, was her name on the wanted poster? She can't remember- "Every - Everyone calls me, Mouse." she stuttered and cursed herself for being a coward.

"Nice to meet you, Mouse. I'm Kai and that man behind me is Commanding Officer Drake. We're just going to bring you to our Vice Admiral. His name is Jonathan. He's nice."

Her stomach growled and twisted. Her hands fell from above her head and wrapped around herself. Her eyes widened at the hard outline of the knives she took before. She had forgotten they were in her coat pocket and hidden behind her baggy overalls. Her confidence boosted. At least she won't be entirely helpless if this does turn into a fight.

Her stomach growled again.

"Sounds like you haven't eaten in a while," Kai chuckled. "Hey, here's an idea. How about we go see Vice - er - Jonathan, and while you're answering a few of his questions we'll have our head chef whip up something nice for you."

It was true she was desperately hungry, but she could still fight. This was nothing compared to before Luffy and everyone found her. Nothing.

"Does that sound good? He has some colorful maps and a really cool coin collection. He might even let you see his fishing lures."

"Hey," a guy behind him hissed.

"Calm down, does it look like she can read a map?"

 _Actually, Nami's been teaching me._

"What do you say, Mouse?"

She looked around and found none of their weapons were pointed straight at her but the officers were still ready to strike if necessary - their eyes like steel set only on her. She hesitated, then nodded. If they were going to take her to the higher up's office, she might as well make the best of it and gather as much information as she could to aid in their escape. The maps he'd promised, would be a huge help. Plus, they probably won't find the treasure - in fact, she didn't think they knew she had it when she arrived. With the treasure there - most of it at least - and the waver, her mission was complete. If the visit to the Admiral ends with them bringing her to the holding cells, Luffy and Sanji would break her out alongside the others if they haven't already. There wasn't so much risk in taking up on his offer.

Kai looked back to his Commanding Officer. He nodded and when Kai turned back to her with disappointed eyes, he sighed. "Sadly, we can't just walk you over like I'd hoped-"

An echo erupted behind her, startled, she whipped around and spotted another officer walking towards her with handcuffs. But they weren't just any handcuffs. They had bluish green sea prism stones carved into the wood.

She remembered the last time she got touched by on of those stones - Smoker's rod in Alabasta - and she won't go through that type of pain again. Not to mention how brief the contact was it was still on her 'Most Painful' list. If they cuffed her, it'd be a long agonizing walk - that is to say she _could_ walk.

She backed away. "Don't - Don't touch me with that!"

"It's okay," the advancing man tried to assure her.

He grabbed her arm. It was gentle but firm as tears stung her eyes. She was terrified.

"No!" She screamed and slapped his hand away. She turned to run but Kai was there with his arms out and ready to snatch her no matter the direction she decided to go. Not to mention the surrounding men were pointing their weapons again. An arm wrapped around her waist from behind. Before he could lift her, she threw her upper body down and leaned all her weight against him. She reached between her legs, grabbed his ankle and yanked it out from under him. They both fell back. She spun around to keep control, a hand reached for her knife. It only took a few seconds to dig her knee into his stomach and hold the blade to his throat. Though, now she realized what she'd done.

She looked up breathless, and found the circle had gotten smaller and everyone wasn't just staring but glaring.

 _Oops_...


End file.
